Vaughan Public Libraries is first in province to provide curbside pickup

May 15, 2020 1:00 p.m.

​New program allows residents to enjoy physical collection safely

Beginning on Wednesday, May 20, Vaughan Public Libraries (VPL) will become the first public library system in Ontario to offer curbside pickup. This service will allow patrons to borrow any item currently on the shelf at the pickup location, and represents a significant expansion of services by providing safe access to a portion of its physical collection during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

In order to provide access to residents in all parts of the city, VPL will be rotating pickup service between its three largest locations: Bathurst Clark Resource Library, Civic Centre Resource Library and Pierre Berton Resource Library. This program may be expanded in the future based on public demand.  
 
The curbside pickup offering will draw on the expertise of VPL staff by providing a concierge service that assists customers looking for recommendations and assistance to find the materials best-suited to them. This begins after the customer has completed an online request form and selects a pickup location. This will trigger a communication from a staff member, who will review the current collection to curate recommended material that fulfills the request and provides the customer with a convenient timeslot.  
 
Customer and staff safety continues to be the number 1 priority, which is why VPL has adopted a touch-free model, while also limiting the number of pickup slots to ensure that customers have sufficient time to collect their request and adhere to physical distancing requirements. VPL will not be accepting returns at this time, and all items borrowed via curbside pickup will not accrue any fines until further notice. 
 
Customers can place their requests starting today – Friday, May 15 – and arrange pickup at a later date. Further information on the curbside pickup service, as well as the request form, is available at vaughanpl.info/curbside. 
 
QUOTE 
 
“I am pleased to announce that Vaughan Public Libraries (VPL) is the first library service in Ontario to offer curbside pickup for residents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout these challenging times, VPL has emerged as an industry leader, expanding its services and program offerings despite the challenges of this global virus. The number of people who have registered online for a library card has increased by a remarkable 135 per cent compared to last year. VPL has a wonderful digital collection of eBooks, resources and online programming, including 4,000 full-content newspapers from 100 countries in 60 languages. Residents can access more than 30,000 critically acclaimed films and stream over 150,000 albums of classical, opera, jazz and world music, all from the comforts of home. This is yet another step the City of Vaughan and VPL has taken to protect the community from COVID-19 while continuing to provide service excellence.”
–       Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua  
 
QUICK FACTS  
 
  • While VPL branches remain closed as a result of the COVID-19 global pandemic, the team has launched a new online service to support its customers remotely. Ask Us is a virtual service supported by more than 20 VPL staff who are able to help with customer inquiries and offer reading and viewing suggestions by phone, email and social media. There are three ways to Ask Us: by phone at 905-653-READ (7323); on Facebook Messenger, Twitter and Instagram; and by email through an online form. 
  • VPL provides customers with free access to a number of digital platforms, including Hoopla, Overdrive and Tumblebooks. Adults, teens and kids will find something they love, allowing them to bring a little piece of the library home without leaving the house. Titles include novels, animated picture books, non-fiction, graphic novels and more. Audiobooks can be played on a smartphone, computer or smart TV.
  • Borrow free digital videos with a library card. Gain access to Hoopla titles – available for instant streaming or temporarily download – and watch on a smartphone, tablet or computer. VPL also provides access to Kanopy, which offers over 30,000 critically acclaimed films. The selection ranges from new popular titles and classics, to world cinema and art and indie as well as top-rated documentaries.
  • Stream over 150,000 albums of classical, opera, jazz and world music with Naxos Music Library. Use a library card and PIN and start streaming today for free.
  • Lynda.com gives users free access to thousands of video tutorial courses with a focus on such areas as technology, software development, business skills, project management as well as creative skills like animation and video editing. The courses are taught by recognized industry experts who will guide users along in learning the skills for personal and professional development. Also available is Transparent Language – a fun and addictive way to learn a new language.
  • For customers who want to read newspapers in languages other than English and French, VPL provides access to Press Reader a database which allows customers to access more than 4,000 newspapers from 100 countries in 60 languages.
  • Through Cantook Station, customers have access to the nearly 7,000 eBooks in this collection and 39 audiobooks. VPL customers can check out up to seven eBooks at a time and have up to three on hold.
  • Three times a week, VPL French language specialists will be providing video content through social media. On Tuesdays, there are French language activities for school-aged children; on Thursdays, staff offer tips on how to access French language eBooks, audiobooks and videos at home; and on Saturdays, there is story time in French for preschool children. Every other Thursday, VPL hosts an online French Meet Up through Zoom. Each meeting provides a theme for discussion. This is open to people of all ages and provides an opportunity to practice speaking French.
  • Creativebug provides on-demand access to a library of more than 1,000 art and craft classes for artists and makers of all levels.
  • Customers will need a library card to access these services, and can obtain a temporary digital card for free by visiting vaughanpl.info/services/membership and clicking on ‘Apply Now’. This will deliver a library card number to the email address provided in the application form. Any customers receiving an error can reach out to VPL.
LEARN MORE
 
  • VPL website
  • VPL eNewsletter
  • Should you feel unwell and if you believe you have symptoms related to COVID-19, please contact York Region Public Health or Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0000. For additional information on COVID-19, visit York Region's website at york.ca/COVID19.
 

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